On November 7, 2025, EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta successfully conducted an operation to free the Maltese tanker Hellas Aphrodite, hijacked by pirates 700 nautical miles from Mogadishu.
π The incident began on the morning of November 6, when armed pirates attacked the vessel using grenade launchers and small arms. The 24-person crew managed to escape to the citadel and escaped unharmed.
β The operation involved the Spanish frigate ESPS Victoria, a helicopter, a drone, reconnaissance aircraft, and special forces. After a show of force, the pirates abandoned the vessel.
Support was provided by international partners: the Japanese Navy, the Seychelles, the Puntland regional authorities, and the combined forces of the CMF.
π According to EOS Risk Group analysts, this is the third incident in eight days involving the same pirate group, which previously attacked the Stolt Aphrodite and the fishing vessel Intertuna Tres.
There is reason to believe the pirates used the hijacked Iranian vessel ISSAMOHAMADI as a “mother ship.”
π¨ Despite the successful release, the threat remains: pirate groups are active in the region, and shipowners are advised to maintain a safety radius of at least 100 nautical miles from the attack sites and register with the MSC-HOA (Maritime Security Centre β Horn of Africa) system.